


Ain't it a Fine Life

by Achievement_Queen



Category: The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: 1890s, Alternate Universe - 1910s, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers Friendship, Gen, How Do I Tag, Howard Stark Is a Dick, Literally everyone is here - Freeform, M/M, Nick Fury is a dick, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-02
Updated: 2015-07-31
Packaged: 2018-04-07 07:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4254273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Achievement_Queen/pseuds/Achievement_Queen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Literally a Newsies AU</p><p>Bucky Barnes accidentally becomes the face of a revolution and Tony is there to catch every detail just to piss off his father.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Santa Fe (Prologue)

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work so I'm sorry if it's shitty and if my grammar is atrocious. If you don't know the Newsies (the musical or movie) I highly recommend to at least listen to the soundtrack because it's a great musical and the songs are great.  
> Alright enjoy!

Bucky leaned on the orphanage’s rooftop railing watching the sun slowly rise above the run-down neighborhood he learned to call home. In the distance is big ol’ New York City. Skyscrapers, Lady Liberty, and millions of people just about to wake up. The shiny city everyone wants. The city that holds opportunity and wealth to all those who come to seek it. What the suckers didn’t know was that New York is just full of lies. No wealth, no opportunity, no chance of living a nice comfy life. Not in New York. Bucky grimaced as the skyscrapers are illuminated by the sun.

“I fucking hate this city.” Bucky muttered as the sun continued to rise.

“What am I not good enough for ya?” Bucky jumps at the sudden voice. He turns around quickly to see a small crippled figure smirking at the edge of the fire escape.

“Steve how the hell did you get up here?”

“I climbed up the fire escape” Steve shrugged as he limps over to Bucky, setting down his crutch against the railing. Bucky picks up Steve’s crutch and starts poking him with it.

“You’ve got a crutch for a reason kiddo, you’ve been limping all your life and finally you’re getting better and now you’re throwing it all away for a fucking sunrise.”

“Language” Steve tries to muffle his laugh as Bucky throws his crutch on the ground and mumbles something that sounded like fuck off. “

You know for someone who is called Captain America you can be a jackass.”

“Hey I didn’t choose the nickname.”

“Yeah, you got it because you’re the poster boy of America, just 8 inches to short.” Steve crosses his arms and grumbles _Stupid Nickname, Stupid Bucky._ Bucky inwardly smirks as he leans back up against the roofs railing staring off in the distance. The sun just reached the horizon lines which means he and the boys are about to be woken up. Then they would have to start getting ready so they could go sell the news to all the suckers in New York. Bucky wish he hadn’t worked for the papes, yet it beats the industrial scene. Selling papes will always beat the possibility of losing a limb. Just thinking back to the steel factory him and Steve used to work at still send shivers down his back. The memories of the fire blocking all exits, Steve trapped underneath that steel beam and… Bucky quickly shakes his head and runs his hands over his face to get rid of the images.

“What’s going up there in your fat head?” Steve stares up at Bucky examining his erratic movements.

Bucky groans “I’m thinking” Steve snorts at the thought. Bucky gives him a pointed glare.

“Well that’s new”

“I’m being serious!” Bucky shoves Steve, ‘Limp leg or not’. Steve struggles to regain his balance. He grabs Bucky quickly, pulling himself up. Bucky smiles at Steve innocently as he stands back up. Steve gives Bucky a wet-willy for being so cruel. Bucky rubs his ear viciously to get the Steve’s stupid spit out.

“That was a low blow comin’ from you Steve.” Bucky whines as he keeps cleaning out his ears.

Steve rolls his eyes over Bucky’s melodramatic display. “Says the man who just bullied a crippled.” Bucky gave a small grin as Steve nudges him. Bucky leans into Steve as they continued to look over the city. Soon the sun boke the horizon turning the sky from light purples into bright blues, signally that the day has started.

“It’s beautiful ain’t it? The way the sun reflects on the skyscrapers making the lights dance. The mixture of all the different colors, even shadows are perfect. I wish I grabbed my sketchpad before coming up here.” Steve stares as the sky continues to mix colors, not even a cloud in the sky, it was going to be a perfect summer day. Perfect for selling papes.

“Yeah, well I don’t think it’s that pretty.” Bucky pushes himself off of the railing and heads towards the fire escape. Ignoring all the ‘beauty’ around him. Steve grabs his crutch and starts hobbling towards him.

“Aw come on Buck what’s the matter? You’ve been glaring at the city for a week now.” Steve rasps out as he grabs Bucky’s arm. Bucky stumbles back and tries to shake off Steve’s hold. But Steve, even though he is a little tiny shrimp, had an iron grip.

“Why last week you were talkin’ to the new kids, Matt and Wade, about how great the city was and all the chances and adventures they’d go on because New York is big. So big that you will never see the same people twice. That you’ll see all kinds of people: poor, wealthy and the crazy ones with those silly hats! What happened to that Bucky?”

“Yeah well you can take your new chances, adventures, and silly hats and shove them straight up...” Steve clears his throat and glares at Bucky. Bucky sighs, he lowers himself sitting on the fire escape. Steve lowers himself to Bucky’s level. Bucky stares down at his hands

“I can’t keep doing this Steve, living here and surviving only because of selling papers and I’m not going back into the industries. This city sucked the life out of my old man, well it ain’t doing that to me.” Bucky slams his fist against the railing. “I’m getting out of here as soon as I can.”

“But, people are dying to get to New York. Everyone wants to come here.” Steve gestures to the city that just started to roar with life. Bucky grabs a crumbled piece of paper out of his pocket and hands it over to Steve.

Steve’s eyebrows leap up.

“S-S-S-Santa Fe? Out of all the places to go. You want to go to that new small town out in the middle of nowhere?” Steve looked at Bucky as if he just grown two heads. “Bucky you’re transferring to a small life, what’s a small town got to offer than a big New York life?”

Bucky laughed “Hey you keep your small life in the big city. Give me a big life in a small town.” Bucky smiles lazily as he looks back down at the piece of paper. “You say folks are dying to get here, while I’m dying to get away. To a little town at west that’s spankin’ new” Bucky points to the worn out text underneath a picture of happy pioneers.

“How do you know you’d like it? You’ve never been there.” Steve took the paper back reading the text underneath the headline. 

Bucky looks at the New York skyscrapers. “Yeah, but I can see it as clear as day. Say if you closed your eyes. I bet’cha you could see it too.” Bucky looks over at Steve.

Steve huffs “Bucky I’m not going to close my eyes.”

“Steve can you humor me just once.”

“Fine” Steve slowly closes his eyes as Bucky starts talking

“Santa Fe is clean and green and pretty. And hell they made a city out of clay!” Bucky sighed “Why, the minute that you get there the folks’ll walk right up and say ‘welcome home son, welcome home to Santa Fe.” Steve looks up at Bucky and rolls his eyes.

“Hey, keep your eyes close I’m not done yet.” Bucky clamps his hand over Steve’s eyes. Steve lets out a groan has he pushes Bucky’s hands off.

Steve glares at Bucky. “What are you planning to do down in Santa Fe? Plant crops or splitin’ rails?”

Bucky chuckles. “Maybe I will and hell after that we’ll be swapping tales around the fire, I can tell them about that time we got a bit too drunk and you and that lovely gal, oh what was her name, oh!…” Steve turns beat red and waves his hand for Bucky to go on about his ‘stupid Santa Fe.’ Bucky chuckles and continues on. “In Santa Fe you’ll work every day, except for Sundays because that’s when you just lie around all day.” Bucky beams at the thought. “Soon your friends become more like family and then they’re begging you to stay. Ain’t that neat?” Bucky nudges Steve.

Steve gives a small smile. “we’d be livin’ sweet down in Santa Fe.” Steve slowly looked down at his leg. “I guess your dream can become a reality. I’m pretty sure my gimp leg wouldn’t even let me rail hop down to Saint Louis.”

Bucky slings his arm around Steve’s shoulders pulling him closer. “I’ll carry you down there if I have to. God gave me these arms for a reason.” Bucky flexes his biceps to emphasize his point. Steve just gives him a grim smile as he continues to look solemnly at his leg. Bucky slaps Steve’s back “Hey, no one worries about a gimp leg down in Santa Fe, You just hop on a Palomino and you’ll be ridin’ in style.”

Steve chuckles “Can you imagine me? Ridin’ out in style”

Bucky jumps up and helps Steve to his feet. “Hey I bet a few months of clean air, you can toss that crutch for good!” Bucky flings his arms up in the air. “Hell in Santa Fe you can bet I won’t let them bastards beat us.”

“And we won’t beg no one to treat us fair and square.” Steve starts smiling and Bucky nods eagerly.“There’s a life that’s livin’ and I’m going to do my share.”

“See you see it!” Bucky gestures to the open space on the roof. Envisioning their Santa Fe. “We’ll work the land and chase the sun.” Steve smiles as he watches Bucky run around the roof explaining Santa Fe. “Hell we’ll swim the whole Rio Grande just for fun!” Bucky exclaims as he turns around watching Steve throw his crutch to the ground.

“Watch me stand.” Steve pushes himself off the railing. “Bet’cha I’ll run.” Steve stumbles as he tries to walk over to Bucky. Bucky runs to Steve, catching him before he hit the ground. Steve sits down trying to regain his breath. Bucky rubs soothing circles into his back in order to calm Steve down. Steve rolls his head onto Bucky’s shoulder and lets out a dark chuckle “I guess even Santa Fe will always be a dream for me. But if it’s your dream Bucky you go on and grab it before it leaves on the next train.”

Bucky grabs Steve’s shoulder as Steve tries to pull away. “Hey, Hey now don’t you know that we’re a family. Would I let you down?” Bucky stands up and offers a hand to Steve.

Steve grabs Bucky’s hand “No way” Bucky grunts as he pulls Steve up.

“So hold on kid till that train reaches Santa Fe.” Bucky helps Steve steady as they start walking down the fire escape to an open window of the orphanage. Steve stops at the window looking over towards the city.

“You know Bucky, maybe Santa Fe isn’t a bust, maybe one day we’ll see it.”

“Yeah, I hope that day comes soon, Now let’s get movin’ so we can get first dibs on baths before the other mongrels wake up. We can’t sell papes if Clint actually looks decent for once in his life. His ‘dashing looks’ could end up him getting’ a gal.”

A groggy shout of _fuck you_ was heard inside. Steve covers his mouth to hide his laugh.

“Yeah I’ll get right on that.” Steve slides under the window only to meet a flying pillow. Muffled shouts were heard inside _‘I didn’t say that about you Clint.’ ‘Oh yeah? Mr. Captain America could at least defend my honor.’_

Bucky hears a bit more cursing and thuds before Coulson telling them to knock it off. Bucky unfolds the crumpled paper out of his pocket looking down at the worn out picture of Santa Fe. Gliding his fingers over the worn out edges. Bucky smiles and folded it back into his pocket. Giving New York one more glance before heading back inside. Making himself a promise.

_‘One Day’_


	2. Carrying the Banner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a start of a brand new day for the Newsies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papes= Newspapers in case that's confusing

The orphanage was modest compared to the others around New York. It was well kept, everyone pitched in with chores and repairs. It offered a bed for the hundreds of boys stuck there. Everything was pretty okay. Unless you’re rudely awoken by people jumping on you and ruthlessly beating you with pillows as hard as rocks. Clint groans as Matt lands the final blow.

“Alright, alright I’m up, fuckin’ get off already.” Clint grunts as Matt tumbles off. “First I’m called ugly by the biggest monkey himself.” Steve sticks out his tongue. Clint turns his gaze back to Matt. “And you almost killed me with that pillow. I’m already an orphan, why must you all torture me?” Clint digs through his small box underneath his bed. Grabbing a box of his stolen stash of cigars. Clint lets out a sigh of relief as he takes a long draw letting the nicotine wake him up. The smoke hangs in the air the familiar smell of nicotine has the boys all relaxed. Clint taps the cigar removing the ashes. Clint takes another pull only to look down and see that his hand is empty. He quickly searches the room finding Wade puffing on his cigar with a lazy smirk.

“Hey! That's my cigar!” Clint jumps out of bed chasing Wade around the room. Wade climbs up on the table puffing rings towards Clint. The cigar was just out of reach Clint jumps up on the table just to meet Wade’s palm. Clint flails as he hits the ground. Wade snickers after hearing the small groan, he carelessly flicks the ashes.

“You’ll steal another.” Wade grins throwing Clint’s cigar on the ground. Coulson sighs picking up the cigar from the floor.

“Coulson tell him to give it back.” Clint whines brushing the ashes off of his shirt. Coulson rolls his eyes as he drags Clint from the floor into the bathroom.

“You smell terrible, go bathe.” Coulson pushes Clint into one of the bathtubs. Clint flailing in the water finally sits up, splashing Coulson’s grin off his face. “Asshole, now I’m soaking wet in my pajamas.” Clint throws his clothes to the ground with a wet thump.  “Now in order to make it up for me, you have to steal my next cigar.” Clint starts lathering his hair smiling up at Coulson. Coulson wrinkles his nose in disgust as he turns to leave. Rhodey walks into the bathroom surprised to see Clint.

“Hey guys look, it’s bath time at the zoo!” Rhodey shouts out to the common room. Clint’s cheeks started to heat up.

“It’s not like I don’t bathe, I take a bath everyday thank you very much.”

“Yeah, if you consider washing your hands as a bath.” Matt dunks Clint’s head under the water as he passes by to brush his teeth.

“I don’t have to withstand this torture. Y’know!” Clint grumbles as he dries himself off. “What is it, pick on Clint day?” Clint starts dressing himself when he spots Steve, in the corner, staring at his sketch book. “Say, what do you got there Cap.”

“I thought that I’d surprise my mother.” Steve shows Clint a sketch he made of the boys eating at their favorite deli. Clint roars with laughter, slapping Steve on the back.

“If you can find her” Steve shoves Clint scowling.

“Who asked you?” Steve grumbles as he shuffles away.

“Say what’s your turf today Rhodey?” Bucky ask as he throws the discarded pillows back onto beds.

“I’m think I’ll go from Bottle Alley to the harbor.”

“Ah, There's easy pickin's guaranteed.” Bucky smiles “Say try any banker, bum, or barber.”

“They almost all knows how to read!” Bucky high fives Rhodey laughing as Coulson frowns a bit.

“It’s kind of unfair how we sell these papes.”

“Hey, it's a crooked game we're playing.” Bucky slings his arm around Coulson. “But it’s one we'll never lose.” Bucky steals Coulson’s cap. “Long as suckers don't mind paying, just to get bad news!” Coulson leans forward stealing back his cap as Bucky jumps onto the bed with an old newspaper.

“Aint it a fine life?” Bucky points to the worn out header. “Carrying the banner through it all” Clint snaps his towel at Bucky’s leg. Stealing the paper from Bucky.

“Oh it’s a mighty fine life. Carrying the banner tough and tall” He tears the paper in half throwing it into the trashcan giving a lazy salute to Bucky.

“It’s a start of another day. When the bell rings. We goes where we wishes.” Coulson fastens his suspenders, checking his watch to make sure they’re still on time.

“We's as free as fishes” Matt hustles to tie his shoes.

“Sure beats washing dishes” Wade nudges Matt’s side faltering his progress.

“What a fine life, Carrying the banner home-free all!” All the boys turn to each dumping their old papers into the waste bin.

“Hey, Cap! What's your leg say? Gonna rain?” Bucky knocks on Steve’s leg with his cap.

Steve shakes his leg a bit. “Uhh, no rain…” Steve gives a few more shakes before smiling. “It’ll be partly cloudy, clear by evening!” Bucky tugs Steve’s cap over his eyes.

“Ha! And the limp sells fifty papes a week, all by itself!” Clint chuckles as Steve straightens up fixing his cap.

“Ah, I don't need the limp to sell papes. I got personality!”

“Oh yeah?”

“It takes a smile that spreads like butter. The kind that turns a lady's head.” Steve grins at Clint.

“Or, It takes an orphan with a s-s-stutter.” Bucky interjects

“Who's also blind-“ Matt covers up Steve’s eyes with his hands.

“And mute-“ Rhodey covers Steve’s mouth.

“And dead!” Wade jumps off of his bunk creating a dogpile. Everyone groans trying to get up. “Wade you fatass move you asshole.” Rhodey rolls Wade over. Coulson runs into the room looking at the mayhem.

“Everyone get your ass up and get out this door before I count to three.” Coulson checks his watch.

“Aww Coulson don’t be such a stick in the mud.” Clint pats Coulson on back.

“one”

“Coulson seriously man, we’re not babies.”

“Two.” Everyone scrambles gathering their knapsacks before Coulson got to three. Who knows what happens at three but they have all seen Coulson take down four thugs at once. The boys rush out of the room, jumping over the stair steps. Flinging the orphanage door letting the leaves blow by the boy’s feet.

“Heh, thank god it’s fall, summer stinks and winters freezing when you work outdoors.” Rhodey sighs feeling the cool autumn breeze.

“Yeah, you start out sweatin’, End up sneezing, and in between it pours.” Clint rolls his eyes kicking a can half way down the block.

“Still it’s a fine life” Bucky snaps Clint’s suspenders. “Carrying the banner with my chums.” Clint groans rubbing his back glaring at Bucky.

“Yeah, a bunch of big shots, tossing out a freebie to the bums.”

Coulson looks over his shoulder seeing the group hanging back.

“Hey! What’s the hold up? Sitting makes me antsy, I like living chancey.” Coulson points at his watch, watching the other newsies rush by him. Bucky throws his arm around Coulson pulling him with the crowd.

“What’s your turf today Coulson?”

“Harlem to Delancey, hopefully” Coulson gasp trying to catch up to the boys. The boys keep running down the streets to get to town square only to be stopped by the sisters of the Catholic Church. Mother Frigga steps out in front of the boys to stop them.

“Blessed children. Though you wander lost and depraved. And remember Jesus loves you, so you shall be saved.” Frigga and the rest of the nuns gather around to offer the boys some breakfast items.

Matt wrinkles his nose looking at the coffee and bread. “Look its curdled coffee, concrete donuts sprinkled with mold, and homemade biscuits that look two years old.” Wade rubs the back of his neck as one of the nuns offered him a cup of the coffee. Wade reluctantly took the cup looking down at the lumpy mixer. The nun looks expectantly over at Matt.

Matt sighs rubbing his temple. “Just gimme half a cup. Something to wake me up.” Matt donates a few coins to the nuns. Mother Frigga accepts graciously and hands Matt his steaming hot abomination. The rest of the boys scramble to find an excuse to get out of the nuns eyes.

“I got to find an angle.” Coulson grabs Bucky to talk about a new ‘angle.’ Rhodey rubs the back of his neck looking down at his feet.

“It's gettin' bad out there.” Rhodey fans himself with his cap.

“Papers is all I got.” Steve smiles sheepishly waving one of the nuns away.   

“It's eighty-eight degrees.” Clint rushes to Rhodey’s aid after noticing him getting cornered by nuns.

“Bucky says to change my spot.” Steve limps away from the nuns to catch up to Bucky. Matt takes a small sip of the coffee before coughing. Clint and Rhodey run over placing the mug back into the nun’s hand. Before dragging Matt away.

“He just needs to catch a breeze.” Clint shouts over his shoulders as the nun’s look curiously over to Wade. Wade looks at Matt’s discarded coffee and then back down to his own. “Maybe it’s worth a shot.” Wade chugs the coffee. His eyes grew big as he struggles to keep the contents of his stomach down. Wade smiles as the nuns wave goodbye and turn to leave. Wade immediately goes to nearest bush before catching up with the rest of the boys.

“Did you actually drink that mold?” Matt looked at Wade with wide eyes, almost admiring Wades strength, almost.

“You’re going to catch a nasty disease man, like tuberculous or influenza or something.” Clint scrunches his nose looking over Wade. Inspecting him for any new mutations.

“Nah, all I can catch are fleas.” Wade still spitting out the vile liquid the nuns forced him to consume. “You would think because they were nuns they would try to save us, not kill us.”

“Hey maybe it’s one of their forms of evangelism.” Steve pats Wade on the back as he starts coughing again.  The boys finally arrive to the gates of the _New York World_ distributing dock,   with five minutes to spare before the bell rings.

“Say Bucky what’s your angle? How do you sell those papes?” Rhodey leaning against the gate as the rest of the boys turn their heads to hear Bucky’s advice.

“If I hate a headline. I'll make up the headline.” Bucky smirks “And I'll say anything I have to  
'Cause at two for a penny for getting the papes and if I take too many. Fury just makes me eat'em after'!” The group laughs, it’s tricking buying papers, and too many doesn’t get money unless all are sold. And since Fury ran the dock there was no sympathy from the man especially with the eyepatch. How could you trust a guy with an eyepatch?

“You wanna sell the new edition? We need an earthquake or a war!” Bucky continues

“How 'bout a crooked politician?” Clint smiles has he hangs on the gate. The boys groan as they start batting at Clint.

“Ya idiot, that ain't news no more!” Bucky slaps Clint over the head.

“Alright Steve you and I will take Uptown to Grand Central Station and then Down to City Hall. We’ll improve our circulation.”

“Yeah, walking til’ we fall.” Steve sighs knowing it’s going to be a long day.

“I got a feeling about the headline.” Wade buzzing with energy.

 “I smell me a headline. Papes are going to sell like we’re giving them away!” Coulson smiles as his watch ticks down to the hour.

“Alright boys we’re gonna kill the competition and sell the next edition! And then we’ll be out there carrying the banner, we’ll be rich towards nightfall.” Bucky pats each boy on the back as the gate starts to open.

The boys restlessly move back and forth waiting for the gates to be clear. All of a sudden the bell rings signally a start of another day.

Bucky grins as he watches the boys rush past him to be one of the first to grab their papers. “Alright, show time.” Bucky runs after the boys to get his day started, time for papers to fly and money to fall into his hand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm a shit writer but it's going to get better (hopefully) But I hoped it was good and you enjoyed. Criticism and comments are gladly welcomed!

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write this goddamn fic so it would leave me alone.  
> So I hope you enjoy and any recommendation or criticism I'll gladly take.


End file.
